This invention relates to an improved bundle tie device for bundling wires in an electrical harness or for similar purposes. Bundle ties in accordance with the invention can be formed of thin sheet metal, which is preferable to plastic under some circumstances such as high temperature conditions and where the tie will be subject to nuclear radiation effects.
A wide variety of bundle tie devices have been proposed in previously issued U.S. patents and there are many different types of ties currently being used. Most, if not all, of the known bundle tie devices are of a plastic material and their design is such that they cannot be manufactured from material other than plastic. In my previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,863, I disclose and claim a bundle tie device which can be of either a plastic or metallic material and ties of this type have been manufactured of plastic and metal. The bundle tie device shown in this previous patent has a plurality of interlocking vanes which extend beyond both surfaces of the tie, a feature which is not objectionable if the tie is formed of a plastic strip. However, where the tie is of metal strip, the vanes which project beyond the inner surface (which is against the wire bundle) are objectionable in that there is a possibility that they may penetrate and damage the insulation of the wires.
The instant invention is specifically directed to a tie having the interlocking vane feature of U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,863 but which has one surface which is devoid of projecting vanes so that it can be applied to a wire bundle without fear of damage to the insulation of the wires in the bundle.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved bundle tie device. A further object is to provide a bundle tie device which can be manufactured from a metallic strip material. A further object is to provide a metallic bundle tie which will not have projections on the surface thereof which is against the bundle after the tie has been applied to the bundle. A further object is to provide a metallic bundle tie device which can be manufactured at an extremely low cost by stamping and forming operations.